Drumlanrig: Alistair Carmichael | Christian Allard

SCOTTISH Secretary Alistair Carmichael has more reason than most to be glad to see the back of last month.

Alisitair Carmichael. Picture: Jane Barlow

The Orkney and Shetland MP (below) didn’t just have to cope with his new job, promptly followed by the crisis at Grangemouth, he had to do the whole lot without a drop to drink, having opted to take part in dry October month.

Dealing with the Alex Salmond and Co is one thing; dealing with them without a glass of whisky as a reward at the end of the day is quite another.

Wonderful inspires McGrigor to reflect

SIR Jamie McGrigor MSP was introduced to a Malawian journalist with the marvellous name Wonderful Hunga, who was visiting Holyrood last week.

The self-deprecating Old Etonian Tory was taken with the journalist’s Christian name. “I wish somebody would call me Wonderful,” said a wistful McGrigor. “Unfortunately my friends are more likely to call me Disastrous.”

Fraser tempts fate with a surefire prediction

BRAVE man, Murdo Fraser. Writing a new blog on the lessons from the Dunfermline by-election, the Tory MSP and former leadership candidate notes how, on his travels around the Fife seat, he found very little enthusiasm for independence among locals.

“From what I saw the Yes campaign have an absolute mountain to climb if they want to come even close to getting the vote they need to break up the UK. Indeed, I would say that it is virtually impossible for them to secure victory in the referendum, without a major external shock to shift public opinion,” he declared.

“Virtually impossible”… you heard it first from Fraser.

Allard’s Asterix has the gall to stereotype Scots

SCOTLAND’s only French MSP, the SNP’s Christian Allard (below), took up his post in parliament a few weeks ago, and has wasted no time in firming up the Auld Alliance.

His efforts now include a new parliamentary motion welcoming the latest series in the Asterix books, Asterix And The Picts. His motion declares that parliament welcomes the publication which “sees Asterix and Obelix travel from Gaul to Iron Age Scotland, where they encounter the Picts, discover whisky, bagpipes, the origins of Hadrian’s Wall and the location of the Loch Ness monster”. So no national stereotypes there then.